Towel cabinet



I Aug 4, 1931. H. w. CROWSON 1,817,479 I TOWEL CABINET Filed May 2. 1930 it Patented Aug. 4, 1931 mmmw. e'RowsoN; or. NEW .YQRK, Y., ASSIGNOR T PfiLliCLEAN MANUnAc'rUh W Y a Application filed May 2,

This invention relates to towel cabinets of the type adapted to contain} a so -'ca1led"continuous? towel ,-that is,a long length of'towel, usually in roll "form,"whic h is adapted to be @1 Llrawn' outwardly through an Opening in the cabinet'in suitable predeterniinedlengths for dryingpurposes; This typeof cabinet is usuallyprovided witharoller mountedtherein 'inpOsitionto-be engaged and rotated by the towel as the latter is withdrawn from the cabinet, .the said roller usually termed a feed roller, being adapted-in some instances.

- tofcooperate with a'stop device for effecting (in -alternate stopping and releasing'of the same to control the feedof the towel from the cabinet, "and also being further adapted to operate, through suitable drive connections,

a rewindin'g devicefor taking up the soiled towelli ng "at the'isanie time that-the clean towelling, is withdrawn I from the cabinet."

135th Siich ass qf th feed'roner, are disclosed in Pending ap li a i e ial No,- 412,3 i0.' e 7 "Because of such uses of thefeedroller, it obviously is desirable that. it shouldbe posi-- tively rotated by "the towel as thelatter is withdrawn from the cabinet,- and in order to efl''ct this iris-necessary that the frictional my invention as i hereinafter described and claimed and as illustratedfinthe accompanying drawings; iiffwhich- Fig; 11s a sectional plan 7 bodyin'g- 'my invention, the section being a staggered one on the line'11 of Fig; 2.

taken on the line2 2of Fig,- 1. V

*I'n' these drawings, which Show only so of a cabinetem 2 isfa vertical section through the up pr part of the cabinet, the section being V TOWEL CABINET 1930. Serial no; 449,214.

, IN G CORPORATION, OF RIneEron-T, colvlvnorxon'r, AfcoRPoRATioNOr nELA-I much of a cabinet as is necessary for the illus-- tration ofmy present invention, the "outercasing'is shown as comprising two sections 2; I and 3, the front section-3 being hinged at one of its vertical edges to the rear section 2, as l at 4,'whereby the casing may be opened to permit of ready access to the'interior thereof.

Located within the casing adjacent its "op posite ends are a pair of frame or'bracket plates 5, 5 for the support of certain partsof nism to be presently describedythese plates being fastened togetherby suitable tie rods and'secured to the casing by suitable f t ns: 111g means, such as the bolts 6. l

- Mounted between the bracket platesis a' stationary shaft 7 upon'which is supported When so supported, the leading end of the towel is led from thefront side'of the roll I up and over a guide rod 8, from thence "down? wardly and partially around a feedroller' 9, suitably journalled infthe end brackets, aridfrom thence forwardly throughan'openin'g 10 1n the front wall'of the casing to and over a guide roller 11, which'latter is'journaled in extensions of the bracket plates projected"! through the opening in the casing to support the roller 11 at the-front side thereof as shown. "From this roller'the towel depends 1n; loop form, as at Z, in convenient position for use; the towel at the rear side of the loop passlng backwardly through the opening .10

to a usual formxoftake-up or rewinding'de i i' vice adapted to be operated from the feed;

roller 9through chain and sprocket connections, said device. and not'being. hereshown; I ,i

The shelf-7, which is preferably formed of sheetmetah is here shown asmounted at itsfront and rear longitudinaledges onsta,

its drive connections frame plates about which rodsthe edgesn-of thei shelf are bent vand secured as shown;

, This shelf is formed and positioned to pre-; sent an inclined surface extending frorniitsa the roll of clean towelling, indicatediat t.

the towel supporting andtens-ioningv mechas'rA riz's PATENT OFFICE.

, tionary rods 12 and -13 carried by-theiend v tate towards said roller, for cooperation with an interposed tension device.

This tension device comprises a plate 15, preferably formed of sheet metal, which at LtS upper end is bent about the rod 8 for pivotal connecLion therewith, and adjacent its opposite or free end carries a rod 16, held in p ace by a plurality of metal straps 17 riveted or otherwise secured to the plate 15, on which with the roller being augmented by reason of the latter having a roughened or sanded surface as shown in Fig. 1.

Asa means supplemental to the roll of towelling for holding the rolls 18in towel tensioning engagement with the feed roller, I have fulcrumed apair of levers on the opposite ends of the rod 8 with their lower 2 arms 20, 20 bearing against the roll carrying rod 16 adjacent its opposite ends, and with their upper arms 21, 21 connecting with one end of a pair of springs 22, 22, which latter at their op osite ends connect with links 23,,

23 .mounte on the ends of a tie rod 24 secured in the end frame plates, as best shown in'Fignl'.

The urpose of having the rolls 18 formed of rub er or other yielding material is to assure a close contact of the towel with thesanded or roughened surface of the feed roller without causing undue wear or tear on the towel such as might result if it were drawn between two unyielding surfaces, one of which is rough, and particularly where the towel issubjected to sudden pulling or erking in being withdrawn from the cabinet, as in the present case, by different users thereof.

In threading a clean towel throughthe cabinet, more oi less. trouble has heretofore been experienced in getting the leading end of the towel to the front of thefeed roller, in a convenient position to be grasped by the operator, after passing it backwardly over said I make provislon for th s 111 the roller. present cabinet by extending the forward side of the towelshelf '7 beneath the feed roller to a point at the front thereof, and by providing the tension device at its lower or free end with a guide member 80 extending in close proximity to the'feed roller from the rolis 18 to a pointadjacent the forward towel guiding surface 31' of the shelf, asshown in ig. 2. ,With this means, when the leading end of the towel is passed backward over the feed roller, it will be engaged by the guide member 30 and caused'thereby to be delivered onto the shelf 7 in a forwardly moving direction, from whence its further movement will be directed by said shelf to a position at the front side of the feed roller where it may be conveniently grasped for its further feeding.

The guide member 30 may be formed and connected with the tension device in any suitable way, the same as here shown being in the form of a sheet metal strip, curved transversely to conform generally to the curvature of the feed roller, and connected to the plate 15 of the tension device by extensions 17 of the straps 17 to which extensions the member 30 may be secured by soldering or otherwise.

hat I claim is:

1. In a towel cabinet, the combination with l a feed roller, of a towel shelf at one side of said roller inclined downwardly towards the same whereby a supported roll of towelling will gravitate towards the roller, and a pivoted tension device having a part thereof interposed between the roller and the roll of towelling to be forced by the latter against said roller.

.2. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roller, of a towel shelf at one side of said roller inclined downwardly towards the same whereby a supported roll of towelling will gravitate towards the roller, and a.

pivoted tension devicehaving a roll interposed between the feed roller and the roll of towelling to be forced by the latter against said roller. p r

In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roller, of a towel shelf at one side of said roller inclined downwardly towards the same whereby a supported roll of towelling will gravitate towards the roller, and a pivoted tension device having a roll of yielding material interposed between the feed.

roller and the roll of towelling to be. forced by the latter against said roller.

' 4. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roller, of a towel shelf at one side. of said roller inclined downwardly towards thesame whereby a supportedroll of towelling will gravitate towards the roller, and a tensiondevice comprising a pivoted frame carrying a rod having mounted thereon a plurality of rubber rolls, said rolls being.

supported in position between the feed roller and the roll of towelling to be forced by the latter against said feed roller;

5. In a towel cabinet, .the combination with a feed roller, of a towel shelf at the rear 7 of said roller inclined downwardly towardsv the same whereby a supported roll of towelling will gravitate'towards the roller, said shelf being extended as a towel guiding.

means beneath the roller to the front thereof and in close proximity thereto, and a tension device pivotally supported above the feed roller and having a part thereof extended between the roller and the roll of towelling to be forced by the latter against said roller, the said tension device having at its lower or free end a towel guiding member extending in close proximity to the roller to a point adj icept the towel guiding portion of the towel s e 6. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roller, of a towel shelf at one side of said roller inclined downwardly towards the same whereby a supported roll of towelling will gravitate towards the roller,a ivoted tension device having a part thereo interposed between the roller and the roll of towelling to be forced by the latter against said roller, and means supplemental to the roll of towelling yieldingly holding the ten- Sllfil device in engagement with the feed r0 er.

7. In a towel cabinet, the combination with a feed roller, of a towel shelf at one side of said roller inclined downwardly towards .the same whereby a supported roll of towelling will gravitate towards the T011613 a ivoted tension device havin a part thereo interposed between the ro er and a roll of towelling to be forced bythe latter against said roller, and means supplemental to the roll of towelling yieldingly holding the tension device in engagement with the feed roller, said means comprising a pair of springactuated levers acting against the tension device.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si HERBERT W. CRO SON.

ature. 

